Page 22 of Tempt Me Forever

I pressed my lips together. "You can take that off your list. I already did it. I like taking care of details."

"Duly noted. By the way, you were right about my sister. I think my presence here helps.”

I smiled. “I’m glad about that.”

“She keeps saying she feels guilty that I moved here, but it was my decision.”

“A very commendable one. Not many would uproot themselves for their siblings.”

"You moved from Paris, right? Why?"

"Because I wanted to be home. I’d sowed my wild oats. And when Travis told me what he had planned for the hotel, I realized I wanted to be part of building the Maxwell legacy. I spent too much time shunning it."

"Why?"

I swallowed hard, shrugging. "Personal issues."

He nodded. "Okay. I respect that."

I glanced around, looking for a way to change the topic. “I’ll check on how customers react to the new menu tonight. I planned to drop by anyway."

He smirked. "You have another date?"

"No, but now that you brought it up, I could go on my app again and see if they match me with someone who's available this evening."

He sat straighter in the chair. In fact, his entire body language seemed to change. He rolled his shoulders back, and his jaw looked tense when he tilted closer.

"Kimberly, you can do better than those bookish schmucks."

I couldn't sit still when he looked at me like that. I sighed, focusing on the laptop, but then I realized I wouldn't be able to work while he sat next to me.

"Why do you even use the dating apps?" he added.

"Because I can put in what I want, set some filters, and hope the software will do all the weeding for me."

"What are you looking for, exactly?"

"Someone with a sense of humor, who’s kind and thoughtful, who spoils me and, I don't know, remembers my favorite lunch and things like that. Know anyone like that? Maybe a friend?" I was only half joking, hoping to get a rise out of him.

"I'm not going to set you up with any friend, Kimberly." His tone was unexpectedly sharp. His nostrils flared, like he was upset about something.

"Why not?" I whispered and swallowed hard.

Goodness, where is this going?

"You know why." He looked away.

A low buzz thrummed through my body. No, I didn't know why. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask, but then he glanced back at me.

"No one's good enough for you," he stated adamantly.

“Hmm, is that a compliment, or are you hiding the fact that you don't have any friends? I'm not judging you, by the way. I just moved back to the city and haven't had a chance to reconnect with my old friends yet."

Thomas came back, arranging the shot glasses in front of the tequila bottles.

"So, know anyone who I could date who's not a schmuck?" I asked Thomas. He knew more about my dating life than probably half my family anyway.

"What about Jonathan from sales?" he suggested.

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